The Role Of Women in Hamlet Essay - 1063 Words

The mindset of the unequal genders in the past is thought to have influenced the way playwright William Shakespeare portrayed females in his plays. Shakespeare exemplified this in his revenge tragedy Hamlet, written in 1601 with one of the most significant characters, Gertrude. She is central to the plot due to her relationship with the main character, Hamlet, being his mother. However, not only is she the mother to the tragic hero Hamlet, she is also widow to his laid father, King Hamlet Senior, and also newly wed to Hamlets uncle, Claudius. In this tragic play, we witness not only the downfall of women of the play in general, but specifically the falling out of Gertrude as a mother to Hamlet, as a wife to the new King Claudius, and as a†¦show more content†¦This soliloquy not only expresses Hamlet’s feelings toward women, but also signifies the beginning to his madness. Not too much further into the play Gertrude realizes her sons abnormal behavior and her conscious kicks in, leading her to feel shame and guilt towards herself. â€Å"I doubt it is no other but the main, /His father’s death and our o’er- hasty marriage† (II.ii.56-57). Here Gertrude acknowledges her flaws as a mother to Hamlet, because she finally understands and convinces herself that because she moved on so quickly after the death to marry Claudius, Hamlet has become mad. This is essentially the falling action of Gertrude as a character because she is trapped between trying to please her husband and her son. Initial incident and consequently the lead to the denouement of her character, was Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius, little does she know of course. As the audience, we are aware of the plots and schemes developing throughout the play without Gertrude’s knowledge. Frailty, thy name is woman: Gertrude: in the Middle suggests, â€Å"It is, in fact, one of these covert actions (as usual kept from Gertrude) that causes her undoing. In effect, Gertrude does not know what she has married, and the gradual realization provides one way to chart her trajectory through the action of the play. To begin with, there is the fact of Claudius’ role in her former husband’s demise†Show MoreRelatedRoles Of Women In Hamlet982 Words   |  4 Pagesthe evolving roles of women in playwright has constantly been up for debate by directors, writers, audiences, and even the actors who portray these characters. For many years in the past, women played a small role socially, eco nomically, and politically. Because of this, many plays and works of literature represent this diminishing role of women. The importance of realistic roles played by women has been a huge factor in the progression of playwright. 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One woman is named Ophelia. In many of Shakespeare’s other plays, he creates women that are very strong and play a very real role in the life of the protagonist. In Hamlet, however, Ophelia occupies a very different role-she exemplifiesRead MoreEssay about Ophelia: Harshly Criticized1027 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century, has been subject to evaluation for centuries. Each character has been broken down and analyzed. The psychology of each character has been examined. Every relationship has been studied to find more answer surrounding the play. Harold Bloom and Sigmund Freud have examined it extensively. Scholars have dissected all parts of the play. One character that has r ecently been analyzed more and more is Ophelia. She has been defended by